Question regarding revised MS's and queries

ether

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
856
Reaction score
82
Age
39
Location
Sacramento, CA
Website
www.kelley-york.com
I'm hoping this goes here. :(

So, say you submit a query complete with a snippet of the MS per the agent's submission guidelines. (The first ten pages or the first chapter, whatever.)

Say they write you back a few days/weeks/months/whatever later to request a partial or a full. Buuut, during that time, you've done some revisions and edits, possibly major ones, possibly not.

My question is this: Do you send them the original MS without the new changes? (I'm talking changes to the part they've obviously already read from the query. The rest wouldn't matter.) Or, do you send them the newer version and let them know, "Just a heads up, this has undergone some revision/changes"?

Thoughts?
 

Jamesaritchie

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
27,863
Reaction score
2,311
I'd say send the revisions, upi should always send teh very best material you have, but I'd also say never, ever send a query or a sample page until and unless you've done every last bit of work on the manuscript you intend to do. This gets new writers is all sorts of hot water.

Once you finally reach the point where you actually send out queries, don't even look at the manuscript again until someone requests it.
 

suki

Opinionated
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
4,010
Reaction score
4,825
I'm hoping this goes here. :(

So, say you submit a query complete with a snippet of the MS per the agent's submission guidelines. (The first ten pages or the first chapter, whatever.)

Say they write you back a few days/weeks/months/whatever later to request a partial or a full. Buuut, during that time, you've done some revisions and edits, possibly major ones, possibly not.

My question is this: Do you send them the original MS without the new changes? (I'm talking changes to the part they've obviously already read from the query. The rest wouldn't matter.) Or, do you send them the newer version and let them know, "Just a heads up, this has undergone some revision/changes"?

Thoughts?

Send the revised version. If the beginning is entirely different - like not even the same character or scene - then you can include a line in your email that says the manuscript has been revised since you sent the query. But if it as at all similar, don't even bother with the explanation - the agent will figure it out. And good luck.

~suki
 

scope

Commonsensical Maverick
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
2,763
Reaction score
251
Location
New York
Ditto what suki said.
 

ether

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
856
Reaction score
82
Age
39
Location
Sacramento, CA
Website
www.kelley-york.com
Thanks, both of you.

Suki - still the same. The revised version is just being trimmed way down thanks to some advice and crit in SYW, and some things are moved around and reworded, but it's still the same otherwise.


Stupid newbie mistake of me to be sending it out without having feedback from others on it, unfortunately, although I have halted sending out any more queries until I'm sure I have it right. :<